Event Details

“The Mexican cinema was introduced to Europe in 1946 at Cannes with María Candelaria, which has since come to be considered “the classic and most memorable of all Mexican films” (B. Rayes Nevares, The Mexican Cinema). Director Emilio Fernandez (“El Indio”) contributed much to the creative period Mexico saw in the forties with films like Flor Sylvestre, Perla and Enamorada—“a series of major national portraits,” writes historian Georges Sadoul, “like the murals of Diego Rivera and Siqueiros, reflecting both the Spanish and Indian traditions and a certain popular taste for melodrama.” Dolores del Río began a renewed career with María Candelaria, the poignant story of a young girl who is mercilessly persecuted by her townspeople, first for the misconduct of her mother, and then for that which the villagers attribute to her. Pedro Armendáriz stars as the peasant boy who tries to save her. The film is set against the backdrop of Xochimilco, near Mexico City, with its floating gardens and indiginous music.” —Pacific Film Archives

About the Director

Emilio Fernández was an actor, screenwriter and director of the cinema of Mexico. He is best known for his work as director of the film Maria Candelaria which won the Palme d’Or at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. A close friend of Dolores del Río, who was married to Cedric Gibbons, designer of the original Academy Award, Fernández was the model who posed for the naked knight holding a sword now known worldwide as Oscar statuette.

Suggested donation $10. All proceeds will go toward GALA's community and youth programs.

GALA Hispanic Theatre
3333 14th Street Northwest
Washington,
DC 20010

Saturday, 14 December 2013 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (EST)

Organizer

GALA Hispanic Theatre

GALA (Grupo de Artistas Latinoamericanos) Hispanic Theatre is a National Center for Latino Performing Arts in the nation's capital. Since 1976, GALA has been promoting and sharing the Latino arts and cultures with a diverse audience, creating work that speaks to communities today, and preserving the rich Hispanic heritage for generations that follow. By developing and producing works that explore the breadth of Latino performing arts, GALA provides opportunities for the Latino artist, educates youth, and engages the entire community in an exchange of ideas and perspectives.